A New Rut

When the pandemic began, everyone took to the parks.

Upon the immediate lockdown, when we were allowed one walk per day, the park would be a joyous wonderland of people out of their homes.

Kids delighted and played in the sun. Families kicked a soccer ball around and flew kites. A gift of fresh air and scenes not in a screen wiped smiles on the faces of all.

The park was one of the things I was most grateful for during the height of the pandemic. It’s a place and ritual I decided that I wanted to keep moving forward and something I’ve kept.

Going for a walk for the pure sake of the walk and not to get somewhere is not a pastime I remember taking part in before COVID. I love it.

I remember upon the arrival of lockdown and the pandemic it was quite odd to figure out where to walk. I live in Chicago, one of the major cities in the U.S. The sidewalks themselves are no-where near six feet wide.

This weird thing began to happen where whenever someone would walk toward me, I would loop out far away from them, supposedly six feet away, and then I would loop back in after they had passed. I watched other people do it too.

We were all walking on our this-is-my-first-pandemic Bambi legs and figuring it out.

At the park in my neighborhood, this took form in a different way.

There are several loops and paths throughout my park. It juts up against a high school, the high school track, an elementary school and a few main streets. Interspersed are five or so baseball diamonds, a garden, tennis courts and of course swings and a jungle gym.

The best part of the park in my opinion is the open space in the center. It’s a wide open field of pure green. A lush gift.

On the far edge of this green portion of the park, there is a sidewalk along one of the main streets. It was here that walking took a very obvious new form.

Rather than walk on the sidewalk and risk being too close to others, people began walking in the field, roughly six feet away from the sidewalk. It was like two lanes of traffic. It happened organically and out of necessity.

After a while this new path in the field began to be worn down. The grass wilted, turned yellow, died and eventually, after a full COVID summer, it became a straight up dirt path. Six feet away from the city sidewalk, a well-trodden new path had been made collectively through daily walks.

As time progressed, I took notice of the evolution of this path. I took photos on my phone of it during the various stages. I wanted to do a time lapse of it.

It reminded me of the paths from marching band where the grass would die from constant marching. It reminded me of a two track from where I grew up - the two ruts in the ground from where tractors or pickups drove down a lane.

The whole time I watched this new rut being created I kept thinking, this is Samskara in real time.

Samskara is a Sanskrit word from yogic philosophy that refers to the mental and emotional patterns that are the totality of our conditioning. Some believe that we are born with these as a karmic inheritance and others that they arise in this lifetime. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

Samskara combines the Sanskrit word “sam” (complete or joined) and “kara” (action or doing). Samskaras include general patterns and individual ideas that are repeated, and when repeated, they create a deep groove of habit that is challenging to change.

Samskaras can be positive or negative depending on what the pattern is. I imagine a deep groove that one automatically slides into whether it’s helpful or not.

This is samskara.

The beautiful thing about samskaras, is that upon new information and awareness, the power of these deep grooves can be utilized in service of the individual and collective. It can either be doubled down on, or in the case of the new rut at the park, a new rut can be made through daily consistent action and choice of taking a new path.

As I watched the new rut being made in the field at the park, I was struck by its relevance to all of life. It was a teacher.

At first, I needed to remind myself to not walk on the sidewalk.

At first, I wore the wrong shoes and would get pissed that they would be dirty.

At first, I trudged through tall snow and broke a sweat to get to the other side.

And then, after many a walk and many a journey down the new rut, the “new rut” became the groove.

I went there automatically.

I wore the right shoes without thought.

I delighted in the snow that danced on my boots as I walked.

It was the new Samskara.

It’s so easy to get stuck in mental grooves, ruts and habits in our minds. These mental habits shape our thoughts, our actions, our beliefs and how we view and experience the world.

Samskaras, these paths we habitually take, can run the show of our lives.

What the new rut in the park reminded me is just how accessible a new groove is if we simply decide to make one and show up to the daily choice of taking the new path.

Just because we’ve done something one way for a long time does not mean it’s still relevant, helpful or true.

When new information and insight presents itself, like a global pandemic, course correction, carving a new groove and making a new rut is not only possible - it’s necessary.

One foot in front of the other.

A new path, maybe just six feet away, is available to you.

Carve a new groove.

Make a new rut.

Deepen a new trench.

A new thought, a new action, a new choice and a new go-to.

A new Samskara can be created by you.

Which in turn, creates a whole new reality.

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The art and practice of observing and creating samskaras that support peaceful and fulfilled living is infused into what I do as a teacher, coach and leader. Much of this takes place through the practice of meditation and way of living I teach called Conscious Creation. If you’d like to dive deeper into this work and combine a meditation practice with conscious creation to make whatever you desire your reality, I invite you to join me for my 30 day experience: Meditate to Create!

We begin Meditate to Create on October 6th. Click here for more information and to sign up!

Interested in working with me 1:1 in conscious creation coaching, meditation, yoga or Mindful Music? Reach out to me here! These are high touch transformational mentorship containers. Spaces limited!

*In person yoga is available to yogis who are masked and fully vaccinated!*

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Consistent action in forging a new and uncertain path is required for a life fully lived and potential realized. It is creating new ruts in the field of life!

“Let us remember that when we take action, an invisible force gathers all around us, pulling in opportunities that align with our purpose, propelling us with momentum to our freedom.”

-Brendon Burchard

One foot in front of the other.

Make the new rut.

Go first.

Take the information and go a different way.

In the park of life, will you stay on the sidewalk or step forward into the open green?

In love, new ruts and relentless belief,

Adrienne